SPRING 2015 (NEW COURSE LAST YEAR) .doc

SPRING 2003 (NEW COURSE LAST YEAR) Basic Biophysics for Motion in Cells PHYS 798N CHPH 718N Instructor: Michael E. Fisher, Room 2100A, IPST Bldg. 85, Tel: (301)405-4819 (e-mail c/o claremon@) Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 am to 11:00 am Place: Department of Physics: Room 1201 Home page: /courses/Phys798N/index.html Credit: 3 hours Aims The aim of the course is to give graduate students in the and physical and chemical sciences an introduction to some aspects of Content: modern molecular biophysics, which draws on concepts and ideas from physics, chemistry, engineering and, of course, biology. To this end the recent book by Jonathon Howard (see below) will be used used as the required course text although not all the topics treated in the book will be covered. (The Contents of Howard=s book may be viewed on the home page for the course.) Some appreciation for modern research on Amolecular motors@ or motor proteins, which is being pursued at the single-molecule level, is an overall goal. Prerequisites: The course will be taught at an introductory graduate level, developing needed concepts and presupposing only some acquaintance with undergraduate mechanics, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics and calculus. No prior knowledge of biology will be presupposed. Well motivated undergraduates may be admitted with the instructor=s approval. Texts: (a) Mechanics of Motor Proteins and the Cytoskeleton by Jonathon Howard (Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Mass., 2001). [required] (b) Cell Movements: From molecules to motility by Dennis Bray, 2nd Edn., (Garland Publishing, 2001). With the permission of the author, Philip Nelson ( University of Pennsylvania) appropriate sections from his soon-to-be-published undergraduate text: (c) Biological Physics: Energy, Information, Life may be distributed. Also ON RESERVE (along with the other books